The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-04-20
MAINE GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY.
Its Quarterly Meeting In Reception
Hall.
The Papers Read by Some of the
Members.


Members.
The quarterly meeting of the Maine
Genealogical Society was held in Reception
Hall last evening. President F. M. Ray
presided, and there were about twenty-five
OF thirty persons present. The records of
the last meeting were read by the secretary,
Mr.. Charles Burleigh, and adopted
The secretary was authorized to cast the
vote of the society for the gentlemen who
had been proposed for membership at the
last meeting and the following were elected:
Active memberS-W. w. Thomas. j..
Sidney w. Thaxter Elias b. Denison, Mar
quis +. King, j. b. Thompson, of Portland
j. b. Harris and d. sWashbourne of Lewis
ton.
Corresponding members-Capt. Robert
Boyd, Y; ,. N, ID. 9. Colesworthy and Ed
ward L. Burnham of Boston, DIR. S. Hamm
and Rev. A, III. Quint of Dover, n H.
Mr.. Burleigh moved that committee of
three be appointed by the chair to announce
the names of those who will be expected to
read papers at the next meeting. The mo-
tion passed and Messrs. Charles Burleigh,
F. o. Conant and Thos. fash, were appoint
ed as that committee
The President, Mr.. Ray, said that he had
intended to deliver an address but finding
there was so many papers of interest to be
read, he would omit it, simply thanking the
members ear the honor which they had con-
ferred upon him.
REV. JOHN wISwALL.
The historical sketch of the Rev. John
Wiswall, by Rev. Arson Titus of Amesbury,
Mass, was read by Mr. John t. Hall, Mr.
Titus being unable to be present.
Rev. John Wiswall was the founder Of the
| first Episcopal church in Portland. 1t was
in 1894 that he declared for, the Church of
England, having previously been settled
over Orthodox churches in Casco and Fall
mouth. The corner stone of St. Pauls
church the first Episcopal church in Port
land was laid Sept l. 1854. The parish was
at first obliged to pay taxes TO the First
Parish but subsequently the amounts
received from this source were regularly
turned over to Mr. Wiswall. Mr.. Wiswall
remained as rector of st. Paul's church until
the breaking out of the Revolution. He was
entirely in sympathy with the Mother
country in the struggle of the colonies for
independence. When the British fleet en-
tered the harbor of Portland in l775, Mr..
| Wiswall was obliged to take refuge on the
Canso. he returned to the town and preach
ed his last sermon, afterwards again going
| on board the Canso and sailing away in her
| to Boston, where his wife died soon after.
| Mr. Wiswall entered the Kings service as a
chaplain after going to Boston.
Mr.. Wiswall himself wrote an account of
his troubles, including the capture of him.
| self and Capt. Mowatt and his final escape
to Boston. He said that he was destitute in
Boston, supporting himself by acting as
| deputy chaplain for two regiments by which
he was unable to support himself and edu-
| cate his two sons as he would wish. lie ex-
| pressed the fear that an Eplscopalian clergy
man could not then live in New England.
Mr.. Wiswall sailed for England in Janu-
airy, l776, and was made chaplain of the
ship Of war Rainbow. He was afterwards
settled over a parish in Wilmot, N. S., where
he died in 1872. His sons became men OF
note.
SKETCH OF scARBoRo.
A sketch of the town of Scarboro, made
by the Rev. Nathan Tilton during his pas
torate in that town many years ago, was
read by Mr.. s. M. Watson.
Mr'Tilton in his sketch of the town gave
at some length the history of the different
churches and their pastors from the time
when the inhabitants of the town, after
having met for religious worship in dwelling
houses, erected the first meeting house.
A part of the paper is devoted to the origin
i Of the name of the Nonesuch river, which
| the writer says was by some supposed to
| have come from the surprising excellence of
/ the timber and rings masts" which grew
upon it. Another theory was that the name
i arose from the circuitous channel of the
stream, for truly, beside it there is none
| such.
Mr.. Tilton gives the date of the construc-
ton Of the turnpike across the marshes, Just
this side Of Dunstan, as 1880, and says that
the work was done by corporation at a
COSY Oh 5000 or $1,000 Connected with
held for many years, until his death at the
advanced age of go, foremost position in
the town: For forty years he was justice
and in all that time no appeal was taken
from any of his decisions. 1t was said OF
him that no lawyer could make living in
Scarboro while he was there.
HEREDITY.
The next paper was one by the secretary
upon the subject of "Heredity" Mr.. Bur
leigh said that he hoped to present some
thoughts upsn this subject which might be
of assistance to the members of the society
in their genealogical investigations. Refer
ring to the theory of reversion. Mr.. Bur-
leigh said that no doctrine Of heredity was
good for anything unless the appearance OF
traits in the child different from those in the
parents could be accounted for. BY the the
DRY of reversion, it is held that the charac-
teristics of person are likely to be those of
an ancestor who may have lived long time
| before the person in whom his characteris-
| tics are reproduced. How often has it been
a matter of surprise that virtuous parents
should have profligate son or that children
OF low birth, should rise to fill positions re-
curing the possession of great faculties. To
| study the lives and characters of our ances-
tors is then duty, SO that by knowledge of
them we may learn what is best suited for
us. And 1t is also duty to live so that we
may transmit to our children any good quail
| tiles In order that generations of good NAV
reduce the liability of reversion to the quail
tiles Of generation which was evil
WALKS IN THE EASTERN CEMETERY.
Mr.. John I. Hull read the third of his
series of papers entitled "Walks in the Eas-
tern Cemetery The paper read last night
treated of the lives of John Russwarm and
his son John B. Russwarm. John Russ
warm was settled in Portland in the early
part of the century, having come here from
Jamaica. He married here and owned
farm. His son John Brown Russwarm was
the son Of slave mother and was born in
Jamaica, coming to this country with his
father. His birth, however, did not debar
him from occupying respectable position in
the town, as he grew into courteous and
cultured man, he became deservedly popular
In 1926 he graduated from Bowdoin College
being the first of his race to be admitted to